Enhancing the Effectiveness of Straw Dyeing In the Ghanaian Basket Weaving Industry

The indigenous of the Upper East Region of Ghana heavily depend on Basketry products, an important activity to supplement income made from subsistence agriculture. The traditional ‘Bolga’ baskets, laboriously hand woven, are locally esteemed for their aesthetic qualities among its citizenry and foreign tourist who visit the northern part of Ghana. Nevertheless, the problem of faded dye colour of their basket products over a period of time is a matter of concern to exporters. To address this issue, various production practices were outlined to improve the exhaustion of dye for a given processing time to improve the quality of dyed straw and to adapt new technology, techniques and practices that reflect their ever-changing socio-cultural realities.